The first three episodes of the series premiered April 26, 2017, with subsequent episodes added on a weekly basis.[2] In Canada, the series will be broadcast by Bravo, beginning with the first two episodes premiering on April 30.[3]...................In a dystopian near-future, the totalitarian and Christian fundamentalist government of Gilead rules the former United States amidst an ongoing civil war and subjugates women, who are not allowed to work, control money, or even read. Widespread infertility due to environmental contamination has resulted in the conscription of young fertile women—called Handmaids, according to biblical precedent—who are assigned to the homes of the elite, where they must have ritualized sex with the men in order to become pregnant and bear children for those men and their wives.

The main character, Offred, is the Handmaid assigned to an elite Commander and his wife, and as such is subject to the strictest rules and constant scrutiny; an improper word or deed on her part can lead to her execution. Offred, so named because her master is named Fred, can remember the "time before", when she was married with a daughter and had her own name, but all she can safely do now is follow the rules of Gilead in hope that she can someday live free.

The show is incredibly well done, and the dialogue is well written. The rise to power of the dictator who put this society into effect is kind of scary, as a lot of that is definitely meant to parallel our current government.

1) Incite fear in your citizens2) Convince them you need temporary additional powers3) Once you have the powers, shut down dissenting opinions, and those of the first amendment4) incite more fear, and declare Martial law5) Take away individual rights.

Also, the nonchalant way that both the men and the women react to rape in this show is insane. The handmaidens are literally raped on top of the husband's wives so they can get pregnant. Everybody involved knows its messed up, and it makes everyone sick, but nobody says anything about it.

So good! Just binged this over two days. I can't even process it all! The whole thing is insane and disturbing. Lots of emotions-both in the story and also in me. Tims mom tried to argue that this could happen. I thought about it a lot, and I think it's possible. Not exactly the way it is in the show but a power move like this leading to removal of rights etc. (Side note Tim wouldn't watch pass the first episode because he "doesn't like dystopian stories" and found it "unrealistic that a whole government and society could change like that in like 5 years" so he didn't even get most of the back story)

After a little more thought the thing I find the most disturbing is that people seem to agree across the board that things going on in the show are disturbing - namely the raping of women. The thing is some of the most disturbing things in the show are things that women in particular already experience constantly-the only difference is the acts aren't ritualized and claim to be in gods name. I'm talking rape-specially domestic rape, belittling of rights, stereotyping and encouraging "biological destinies" etc. another hot topic in the show that are already real issues: hate for and abuse of homosexuals. I'm surprised there wasn't a race issue in the show. All sex.